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Chapter 57

  “To arms!” Brad shouted, summoning his shield and drawing his new sword.

  Around Sivly, four water orbs began to fly around him as Troy stepped back fading into the shadows.

  Emilia watched Jaeger, who didn't react except for a small smile.

  “Stand back, I think our friend Jaeger is expecting this.”

  In response to her words, the others lowered their weapons and turned to face Jaeger. He said nothing, just stepped forward and waited, hands on his hips, as the distant figure approached.

  With each thunderclap, the figure became clearer, slowly revealing itself to be a horse. A majestic buckskin with a midnight mane, she rode forward, and as she came within feet of the bounty hunter, the sudden sunset faded, and she gave him an annoyed whinny.

  “Yeah job’s done. I knew you'd come running when I needed you.”

  The horse lightly butted against his chest and danced around him. Seemingly satisfied, she turned to the others.

  “These are the adventurers we came to rescue. With the job done, we're going our separate ways; they're heading back to Patterson, while we need to get to Clivetown.”

  The adventurers in question stepped forward, eyeing the horse as they did so.

  “Jaeger. Can you speak with horses?” Sivly asked.

  “No.”

  There was no further explanation, which only irritated the Otterkin.

  “Then why do you talk to the horse as if you understand it?”

  Jaeger shook his head.

  “Because she’s my horse and I do understand her.”

  This only made Sivly angrier. While she was building up, Brad stepped forward.

  “Is she a normal horse? Because, my friend, unless I miss my guess, we are not near sunset, nor do they tend to disappear so suddenly.”

  Jaeger patted the purple and dark orange red, armor Ventress wore.

  “She has a Peytral of the Sunset Rider. It has some movement abilities, magical sure. I just thought the Sunset Rider part was more about the coloring than the skills. I’ll have to be more careful later, that kind of assumption can backfire.”

  Emilia nodded as she walked up to the horse and examined the armor.

  “The Sunset Rider is a figure of legend. No one knows more than their name, the fact that they were Outworlder and that they had a mount. Their name, their race, everything is lost; all that is known is legend.” Emilia cautiously reached out a hand to Ventress, who, after examining it, allowed the patchwork to touch her. “They seemed to appear, perform whatever duty they were there for, and then disappear into the sunset. If you're interested, the Sages Guild should have more information.”

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  Emilia fed Ventress an apple and then retreated.

  “Maybe you’ll be the next Sunset Rider.” Troy said with a chuckle as he walked over to Ventress and extended his hand. She nipped at him and he jumped back with a scowl. “Jaeger, it was nice to meet your horse, but we have to go.”

  Sivly snickered in Troy's direction as he spoke. Brad and Emilia nodded along.

  “He is right, and I feel better too. Now that I know you have a companion and a quick way out, I feel better about letting you go alone.”

  The bounty hunter raised an eyebrow at Emilia.

  “You think I can't take care of myself?”

  “No, you have clearly shown that you can, but numbers are their own kind of quality.”

  “Fair enough. But with Ventress by my side, I'm more than capable of dealing with groups.”

  Grabbing the saddle horn, he hopped up and slid his feet into the stirrups. Turning Ventress toward Clivetown, he moves in the seat and removes his hat.

  “Take care of yourselves.”

  With that, Ventress trots off in the direction of Clivetown.

  The ride back to Clivetown was fast and boring. Jaeger found himself coming down and losing interest, something similar happened after every hunt.

  He didn't know why, but after the hunt, things felt less important. This wasn't his usual coming down, normally he would be tired. He had been running himself on maximum energy and concentration, keeping an eye out for tricks, traps and ambushes. Nobody wanted a visit from a bounty hunter. Once the job was done, he'd usually relax, the tension would leave him and he'd start to fall low on energy; how long depended on the stress and action of the hunt. He would spend a day or two in the town where he took the job, enjoy a meal or two, and then leave when his energy returned.

  But now he didn't feel tired, he felt uninterested, even bored. That was worrisome, but try as he might, he couldn't get himself to focus.

  “Curious and mildly concerning, but with what you’ve seen unsurprising.” Mused a familiar voice. “I suppose I should help; you have provided some decent entertainment. Defeating a member of the Decayed, even a lowly one like that, is impressive.”

  Then Jaeger felt claws raking across his face and he was ripped from his body.

  Taken from his body, he appeared in a gray space, empty except for a large prone figure. Before him lay a Sa'talen B'alam, looking like the Guardian but made entirely of shadow and darkness. It lay before him, watching him with silver glowing eyes. The hunter met its eyes and felt himself pitted against something.

  The moment seemed to last for years, Jaeger felt himself being pressed by a concentrated will. At first it took all his strength to just hold on, but slowly he was able to steady himself and push back. As he pushed, he began to understand the will. It was a predator, it lived to hunt and kill. Nothing else existed for it.

  With that understanding, he knew some of what had happened to him. He didn't know when, but when the hunt was over, it got bored and took it out on him. He knew that if he didn't find a solution, this thing would consume him. He'd become nothing but a vessel for it, going from hunt to hunt, not caring about any code or even the results. Just a beast, hunting down prey.

  “Ah, you've made good progress. Yes, you must defeat this shadow and regain control of yourself. I'd advise you to focus your will, perhaps call upon those chains of yours. Once you do that, we will talk more.” Mischief’s voice echoed from all around.

  Jaeger wanted more answers, but he knew the only way to get them was to follow Mischief's advice. So he closed his eyes, or whatever magical version of them he had in that gray space, and called upon his will. He summoned them and moved like a trained hunter, not a beast.

  His will pushed back against the shadow. He thought of it as a professional hunter hunting a deadly predator. He set traps, big jagged leg snappers, he laid false trails, he used snares and rifle shots. Slowly but surely, he gained the upper hand, pushing back the shadow's will and influence. Across from him, the beast itself seemed to reflect him, fading with each successful advance of his will.

  It never moved, though, just watching Jaeger even as his reduced it to nothing more than fading wisps. Only in its final moments, when it was nothing but smoke in the air, did it do anything.

  “Good. If this shadow had taken you, I would have been disappointed. Enjoy this victory, young hunter, for it will be but one of many.”

  Then it was gone, and Jaeger felt a familiar ripping sensation. His last thought in that gray realm of nothingness was that he recognized the voice; it had been that of the Guardian of Greenwood.

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